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Andrew1967 wrote:

Costafortune wrote:

Andrew1967 wrote:Thanks for that info Nick, I think you mean it'll (or should) be OK.

Richard, the finish really does depend on how its applied. We use an expensive extra flow top gloss thinner for the top coats and the final coat is applied with about 75% thinner, to allow it to flow out.

We have never found it necessary to cut back and polish to get a good finish. Not as good as 2 pack obviously but not orange peel either.

Care must be taken with that final coat - never go back if you think there is a dry spot as any further application will run faster than Usain Bolt

Or you could use 2 pack acrylic and avoid any issues, having a better and tougher paint finish.

As I wont be painting it until next year, I have time to decide, although I have bought the Surf Cellulose already.

I'm also a bit concerned about painting top coat 2 pack without the correct air fed mask. Primer is OK as at least you can do a bit and leave it ....

If you don't have an oven, I'd be paying someone else either to paint it or hire the oven. Air drying 2 pack isn't as good. You can get cyanide free 2 pack but it's years since I bought paint.
The cellulose can be used to paint the inside and underneath - you can really lather it on. The good thing about Celly is that everything goes on top without reacting.

GREAT info here re paints for restorers of the future. Maybe Mark can work some magic to the thread title so the it also comes up for future searchers under 'PAINT'

I want to know why air drying 2 pack paint isn't as good ? ... I'm third generation paint sprayer in my family , 35 plus years for me . When I was a apprentice I questioned the shop Forman on why we weren't " Baking " the paint . He replied " it ain't a fucking turkey son " . As soon as its touch dry , get it out and get another in the booth . I've owned many oven spray booths over the years . My point being that in a busy sprayshop they all end up getting air dried .... ken

Swifty, I know it's going off topic somewhat - how would you describe the differences between a 1071 S (which I've never driven) and the 1275 S of which I have driven a few?

richardACS wrote:

Andrew1967 wrote:

Costafortune wrote:Minis were never painted in Cellulose. Cowley replaced it with with enamel around 1949/50 and Longbridge shortly after. Cellulose is okay if you have time for perfect prep and then flatting/polishing and car factories don't. Vauxhall used Acrylic first in 1963 and BMC would have followed. BMC tried synthetic enamel but it fades quickly.

Cellulose will not go over 2 pack without a reaction at some stage. You can use a sealer but it's all a PITA.

A decent 2-pack gun finish with slight orange peel and flatted back just enough to de-nib is enough.

Yeah, cellulose isn't original but it is a nicer and more authentic looking finish.

Not sure about the reaction issue, everyone else I've spoken to seem to say its fine to do it that way but not 2 pack over cellulose

This is interesting - "a more authentic finish" does this mean a slightly orange peel finish as mentioned by costa fortune? and not a very smoothed, highly polished appearance? I'm not sure what the objective should be or how to articulate it but certainly not a mirror/heavily worked finish...

I quizzed Paul about how he might acheive an authentic finish when we get to final paint - his opinion is to mix the acrylic with a small amount of matt to take away that high shine....

I havnt driven my 1071 S yet . Got a fair way to go before it's finished . I'm told by the people that have owned one that there the sweetest by far . I'm really looking forward to it . .... ken

i have a1071 it is very sweet and a lot smoother than a 1275 love it

swifty wrote:I want to know why air drying 2 pack paint isn't as good ?

More susceptible to paint chips ime.

All opinion of course.

richardACS wrote:
I quizzed Paul about how he might acheive an authentic finish when we get to final paint - his opinion is to mix the acrylic with a small amount of matt to take away that high shine....

Noooo! Just a regular paint job and a de-nib (taking out any dust specs) after. Straight from the gun light orange peel but still deep and shiny.

BRI MK1 wrote:i have a1071 it is very sweet and a lot smoother than a 1275 love it

My first Cooper was a 998 and it wasn't until I bought a 1275S that I realised just how smooth an engine the 998 was and how rough in comparison was the 1275S. I have picked up over the years that the 1071 was very smooth and free revving.

I'm told these days that a 1275 can be made just as smooth but can it really? and is the slightly less power of the 1071 that noticable by comparison?

Here are further images of the boot floor installation.

Further boot floor install - apologies for being out of sequence...

To the otherside of the door (so to speak)

And to those 'oh so useful storage bins' where too often one would find the sugary mess of what was once a boiled sweet or lump of gooey chocolate or worse...

The car was supplied with a straight cut gearbox, would be interested to hear the plus and minus points of retaining this or alternatively finding a bog standard box?

richardACS wrote:The car was supplied with a straight cut gearbox, would be interested to hear the plus and minus points of retaining this or alternatively finding a bog standard box?

If you are mainly / only using the car on the road then there are no advantages of using a straight cut box. They are always noisy, sometimes VERY NOISY & make driving more than a few minutes tiring. For competition, they absorb less energy than a helical box so sap less power. They ARE NOT, contrary to popular opinion stronger than a similar helical box.

Personally speaking I think Baulk ring straight cut gear sets are a complete waste of time nowadays. The worst part of any synchro box is the baulk rings, these seem to be universally crap at the moment. For most competition (apart from where the regs dictate otherwise) a Dog box has to be the sensible option.

This is a great option as far as road / mild competition gear sets are concerned.

http://www.minispares.com/product/Class ... o%20search

Having said that a good condition standard set with some decent baulk rings will give years of good service.

My 970S had a proper BMC Special Tuning SC gearset (3 synchro) and it was absolutely lovely. It made a superb noise - obviously whiney but not the horrible scream of inferior stuff. In fourth top gear was marginally noisier but not that bad.

But this was proper BLMC stuff.

With no experience of the additional noise factor of a s/c box, this is not likely to be a sensible option in this application - it will be a road car and therefore wants to be less noisy and carries the risk that it could be rather tiring.

As we moved on to the front of the car, this is where that usual old rot spot had not left this car alone.

The off side A post however was not so bad